List of career achievements by Wilt Chamberlain

This article concerns the career achievements of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding and durability. Among others, he is the only player in NBA history to average 40 and 50 points in a season, score 100 points in a single game, and grab over 2,000 rebounds in a single season. He also won seven scoring, nine field goal percentage, and 11 rebounding titles in addition to an assist title.[1]

With an assortment of fadeawayjump shots, his favorite one-hand finger-roll and powerful dunks in the low post,[2][3] he scored 31,419 points, grabbed 23,924 rebounds, averaging 30.07 points (second best all-time behind Michael Jordan) and 22.9 rebounds (all-time leader) and was also very durable, standing on the hardwood an average 45.8 minutes.[4]

For his feats, Chamberlain was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, elected one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, ranked #2 in SLAM Magazine's Top 500 NBA Players of all time in 2011[5] and #13 in ESPN list "Top North American athletes of the century".[6] In honor of Chamberlain, his jerseys have been retired six times, by Overbrook High School, the University of Kansas, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers franchises.[7]

Chamberlain holds 71 NBA records, 62 by himself.[8] Among his records are several that are considered unbreakable, such as averaging 22.9 rebounds for a career or 50.4 points per game in a season, scoring 100 points or 55 rebounds in a single game, scoring 65 or more points 15 times, 50 or more points 118 times.[7][9] During Chamberlain's time, defensive statistics like blocks and steals had not been recorded yet. However, according to Jack Ramsay, "Harvey [Pollack] said he used to tell one of his statisticians to keep track of Wilt's blocks in big games... One night, they got up to 25".[10]

NBA Record - Most Points Scored in a Half (59 in the 2nd half vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962)

NBA Record - Most 50 Point Games in a season (45 in 1961-62)

Chamberlain holds the next most with 30 in 1962-63. No other player has had more than 10. Only Michael Jordan (39 including playoffs) and Kobe Bryant (25 including playoffs) have more than 20 in their careers.

NBA Record - Most 40 Point Games in a season (63 in 1961-62)

Chamberlain holds the next most with 52 in 1962-63. Michael Jordan is third with 37 in 1986-87.

Only player in NBA history to record a quadruple double-double (40+ in two different categories) (A feat he performed 5 times).

On November 4, 1959, Chamberlain, in his third game in the NBA, scored 41 points and grabbed a then-rookie record 40 rebounds against the Syracuse Nationals.

On January 15, 1960, Chamberlain, as a rookie, scored 44 points and grabbed 42 rebounds against the Boston Celtics.

On January 25, 1960, Chamberlain, as a rookie, scored an NBA rookie record 58 points and grabbed 42 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons.

On February 6, 1960, Chamberlain, as a rookie, scored 44 points and grabbed an NBA rookie record 45 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons.

On December 8, 1961, Chamberlain scored a then-record 78 points and collected 43 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers.

After critics called him a one-dimensional (or even selfish) player, Chamberlain led the league in total assists the next season, 1967–68, with 702 assists (he did not lead the league in assists per game): he remains the only center to lead the league in assists.

NBA Playoff Record - Most minutes played in a six game series (296 against the New York Knicks in 1968)

NBA Finals Record - Most minutes played in a five game series (240 against the New York Knicks in 1973)

Chamberlain never fouled out of a regular season or playoff game in his 14 years in the NBA. His career average was only 2 fouls per game, despite having averaged 45.8 minutes per game over his career. His fouls per 36 minutes (a stat used to compare players that average vastly different minutes) was a remarkable 1.6 per game.[1]

In addition to his many statistical accomplishments, Chamberlain also had a successful career. He is a two-time NBA Champion (1967, 1972) and a six-time NBA Finalist (1964, '67, '69-'70, '72-'73), was voted NBA MVP 4 times (1959-60, 1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68 seasons) and NBA Finals MVP once (1972), was elected to 7 All-NBA First Teams (1960-'62, '64, '66-'68) and 3 All-NBA Second Teams ('63, '65, '72) and is with Wes Unseld one of two players to have won the Rookie of the Year and the MVP awards in the same year. In addition, he was voted NBA All-Star Game MVP 1960 and also made two All-Defensive First Teams (1972, '73).[7]